Orthopedic appliance



March 7,` 1967 D. H. LocKE ORTHOPEDIC APPLIANCE Filed Oct. 28, 1965 ,6Fig. 4

David H. 'Loc/e INVENTOR.

United States Patent O North Carolina Filed Oct. 28, 1963, Ser. No.319,447

4 Claims. (Cl. 128-78) The present invention relates to an orthopedicappliance which, generally speaking, is structurally and functionallydesigned and correctly adapted to improve the posture of the wearer andwhich, more partlcularlystated, has to do with a unique belt equippedwith facilities which afford needed support for the small-of-the-backand a vital part thereof, the sacral area.

Briefly the appliance comprises a body or waist-encircling lbeltcharacterized by readily separable and connectable overlapping endportions which, when 1n use and thus joinned, provide a median backportion which irnposes yieldable pressure on the sacroiliac joint withwhich said back portion is responsively cooperable, a diametricallyopposite front portion wherein the overlapping end portions imposedesired supportive pressure on the wearers abdomen, and side portionswhich join the front and back portions and which are specificallyidentified as above-the-hips side portions.

The above-described belt can be, and often is, categorized 'as a bodyand back brace, more explicitly, a sacroiliac support. This sacroiliacsupport feature comprises a readily insertable and removable compositepad, that is, a pad having a substantially rigid backing member equippedon a face thereof with a suitably resilient pad. The pad is wedge-shapedand thus suitably tapered and is fitted into a conformingly taperingpocket. Thls pocketed pad imposes yieldable pressure upon thesmallof-the-back and particularly the sacral area therein (the Sacrumand ilium-sacroiliac joint).

The belt also features self-contained longitudinally spaced darts whichare disposed transversely of the belt. These darts are located one tothe left and one to the right lof the pocket or pouch which contains thepad. Each dart encases a wedge-shaped stay or stave. These encased staysare significantly important and are accordingly strategically locatedrelative to each other and the intervening pocketed pad in order toexert extra pull and apply the desired stress and strain on the movablepad. With lthis construction that part of the elastic belt between thedarts is not only of double ply construction but is significantly lesselastic thus imposing the desired degree of pressure, that is thepressure of the pad against the sacroiliac joint and the proximalportion of the spinal column.

The invention also utilizes quick separable multiple fastener meanswherein contacting surfaces of the overlapped ends have quick separablepressure responsive pull-released connecting means. This means isreleasable merely by catching hold of the available free terminal outerend, then yanking it open. This means while not in and of itselforiginal, eliminates the extra aid often required by other types ofbelts with connectable ends. This is to say the means herein employedobviates the need for troublesome buckles, buttons, clasps and lacedeyelets which are known to be objectionable and more expensive than isnecessary.

The invention also employs bias tapes on upper and lower edges whichkeep the belt from riding up on the wearer, thus obviating the need forholddown leg straps. Experience has shown that the thus finished oroveredged marginal edges of the tapered free ends at the fr-ont of thebelt function with requisite nicety in achieving the end resultsdesired.

3,307,535 Patented Mar. 7, 1967 ICC These together with other objectsand advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in thedetails of construction and operation as more fully hereinafterdescribed and claimed, reference :being had to the accompanying drawingforming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like partsthroughout, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a View in front elevation showing a sacroiliac beltconstructed in accordance with the invention and illustrating it in use;

FIGURE 2 is a View with the belt ends disconnected and showing themedian back of the belt broken away to bring out the pad and pouch andalso to show the construction of one of the darts, the one to the rightof the pad; v

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary horizontal section on the plane of the line 33 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary view in section and elevation taken on theplane of the vertical section line 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

Referring now to the views of the drawing the belt proper is of onepiece construction, that is made from a single length of elasticmaterial (one-way-stretch) and wherein the permissible stretch islengthwise -only so that when the belt encircles the -body or waist ofthe wearer and is thus worn the circumferential dimension is varia'blewithin the limits of the ability of the material to distend itself. Themedian back portion of the belt, denoted generally at 6 is relativelywide and is provided on its exterior side with a separate piece or patchof elastic, the end portions 8 of which are superimposed on andAstitched in place as shown, the intermediate portion 10 being stitchedonly at the bottom (FIG. 4) as denoted at 12 and which in conjunctionwith the opposed belt portion 14 provides Ia pouch or pocket 16. Thegradually narrowing or tapering frontal end portions 18 have terminalends 20 and 22 which are overlapped and separably joined together, theupper and lower lengthwise edges of said ends 20 and 22 being bound withbias tape which is simply overedged by machine. The thus reinforcededges, upper and lower, are denoted at 24 and when in use guard againstundesirable riding and slippage of the belt either up or down. Theintervening or diametrically opposite side portions (which are of thesame width as the back) are denoted at 26. Between the side portions andthe pouch the belt is gathered and folded and stitched as denoted at 28to define downwardly tapering exterior darts 30. Each dart provides apocket or casing whose lower narrower end is denoted at 32; It is inthis casing that the wedge-shaped stay or reinforcing stave 34 (FIGS. 2kand 4) is confined for its highly effectual stabilizing effect.

It is significant to note that the pocket or pouch 16 tapers downwardlyas illustrated in FIG. 2 and is open at the top to facilitateutilization of the insertable and removable sacroiliac pressure,applying compressibly resilient pad 36. The pad is wedge-shaped andproportional in size to the pocket in which it is contained. Itcomprises a relatively rigid cardboard or equivalent backing member 38one side of which has the foam rubber or sponge rubber pad 40 appliedthereto.

The opposed or Ioverlapping surfaces of the terminal ends or endportions 20 and 22 are joined by quick separable multiple fasteners.Instead of employing hooks and eyes, grommets and laces, buckles, claspsor troublesome fasteners a modern fastener is utilized and which isknown in the trade as Velcro. This fastener comprises a rectangular mat42 which is bound and stitched in place at 44 and centrally located thefinish being a multiplicity of soft-nap loops which constitute keepersfor the nylon or equivalent plastic hooks carried by the companionfasteners 46 on the interior of the end portion 20. Velcro is a patentedfastener and the nylon or equivalent miniature multiplicity of hooks are`denoted generally at 48. These hooks are releasably hooked into theloops of the soft-nap mat 42. This type fastener is pressure-responsiveand is openable by exerting a yank or pull on the end 20. This fastenermeans permits adjustment and is possessed of the features already setforth in the introduct-ory portion of the specification.

It is submitted that the belt herein shown and described serves thepurposes for which it is intended, is an innovation, will appeal tomanufacturers and retailers, meets the manufacturing requirements ofmanufacturers and otherwise achieves the improved end results attained.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles ofthe invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes willreadily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limitthe invention to the exact construction and operation shown anddescribed, and accordingly all suitable modifications and equivalentsmay be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention asclaimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. An orthopedic appliance functionally designed and correctly adaptedto efiiciaciously improve posture of a wearer and to, at the same time,afford vitally needed localized support for the sacral area,particularly the small-of-the-back, a single length waist-encirclingbelt made 4of elastic material limited to one-way lengthwise stretchrequirements, said belt characterized by a relatively restricted mediansmall-of-the-back portion, a diametrically opposite front portionadapted to embrace `and impose distributive supportive pressure on thewearers abdomen for maximum support, and intervening diametricallyopposite above-the-hips side portions, said median and side portionsbeing of uniform relatively broad width, said front portion havingoverlapping free end portions gradually and progressively decreased inwidth toward terminal portions thereof, the contacting surfaces of theoverlapped ends having quick-separable pre'ssure-responsivepullareleased connecting and fastener means which is releasable bymerely catching hold of the available accessible free terminal end andyanking it lopen, the central part of said median portion being providedwith a compressibly resilient pad of a size and shape to span and exertlocalized pain alleviating pressure on the sacroiliac joint, said padbeing removably held in a pocketing pouch, being generally wedge-shapedin size, and having a substantially rigid backing with a foam rubber padsuperimposed and fixed thereon.

2. The bolt deiined in claim l, and wherein the separable fastener meansembodies one component part fixed flatwise `on one of said surfaces, anda complemental cornponent part also applied and fixed flatwise on theother surface, at least one of said component parts being concealed andunobjectionably out of the way.

3. The structure defined in claim 2 and in combination, transverselydisposed longitudinally spaced darts provided on the median portion ofthe belt to the left and right of said pouch, each dart being graduallydownwardly tapered from its upper to its lower end and providing acasing, said casing containing a rigidifying stay.

4. An orthopedic appliance functionally designed and adapted tocorrectly improve ones posture and to, at the same time, aiord neededsupport for the sacral area and the adjacent small-of-the-back, lawaist-encircling belt made of elastic material having one-way,lengthwise only, stretch properties, said belt characterized by a mediansmall-of-theback portion, said median portion being provided on anexterior side with a relatively short but equally wide patch of elasticmaterial whose end portions are superimposed on and stitched to saidmedian portion, the bottom edge of said patch being also stitched inplace and the upper intermediate edge portion being unattached,additional stitching connecting a median portion of the patch With saidsmall-of-the-back portion and cooperating therewith in defining apocket-like pouch, said pouch having downwardly converging vertical sideportions and having an open mouth at the top, an insertable andremovable sacroiliac pressure applying composite pad fitted snugly butremovably in said pouch and conformable in size and shape with the pouchand comprising a relatively rigid backing member covered on one sidewith a compressibly resilient 'sponge rubber pad which is adapted toexert localized pain alleviating pressure on the wearers sacroiliacjoint, said belt also embodying a diametrically opposite front portionwhich embraces and imposes supportive pressure on the wearers abdomen,and

intervening above-the-hips side portions, said median and side portionsbeing of uniform broad width, the front portion having overlapping freeend portions, the latter being gradually and progressively decreased inwidth toward terminal portions, the upper and lower lengthwise edges ofsaid free overlapping end portions being overedged and bound with biastapes, the latter functioning to minimize the likelihood of the belt asan entity, from either riding up or sliding down on the wearer, saidnarrowing end portions keeping said lengthwise edges from girding andundesirably pressuring the wearers thighs whether standing, sitting,kneeling or the like that portion of the belt to the left and right,respectively, of said pocket being doubled and gathered upon itself andstitched in place and providing a downwardly tapering dart, said dartdecreasing in width gradually and in a direction toward the lower edgeportion of the belt, and said dart comprising a hollow casing providedwith a wedge-shaped stabilizing stay, each reinforced dart being of alength commensurate with the cooperating portion of the belt and beingsituated at the juncture of the overlapping gradually narrowing free endportion of the corresponding end of said small-of-the-back portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,110,226 9/1914Payne 12S-579 2,097,159 10/ 1937 Kendrick 128--579 2,219,475 10/ 1940Flaherty 12S-78 2,294,770 3/ 1942 Amyot 128-533 2,730,096 1/1956 Pease128-78 2,910,984 11/1959 Yeakey et al 12S-522 3,054,400 9/1962 Lizio12S-163 3,096,760 7/1963 Nelken 12S-78 3,197,684 4/1965 Walsh 12S-75FOREIGN PATENTS 1,051,962 1/1954 France.

RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

J. W. HINEY, Assistant Examiner.

1. AN ORTHOPEDIC APPLIANCE FUNCTIONALLY DESIGNED AND CORRECTLY ADAPTEDTO EFFICIACIOUSLY IMPROVE POSTURE OF A WEARER AND TO, AT THE SAME TIME,AFFORD VITALLY NEEDED LOCALIZED SUPPORT FOR THE SACRAL AREA,PARTICULARLY THE SMALL-OF-THE-BACK, A SINGLE LENGTH WAIST-ENCIRCLINGBELT MADE OF ELASTIC MATERIAL LIMITED TO ONE-WAY LENGTHWISE STRETCHREQUIREMENTS, SAID BELT CHARACTERIZED BY A RELATIVELY RESTRICTED MEDIANSMALL-OF-THE-BACK PORTION, A DIAMETRICALLY OPPOSITE FRONT PORTIONADAPTED TO EMBRACE AND IMPOSE DISTRIBUTIVE SUPPORTIVE PRESSURE ON THEWEARER''S ABDOMEN FOR MAXIMUM SUPPORT, AND INTERVENING DIAMETRICALLYOPPOSITE ABOVE-THE-HIPS SIDE PORTIONS, SAID MEDIAN AND SIDE PORTIONSBEING OF UNIFORM RELATIVELY BROAD WIDTH, SAID FRONT PORTION HAVINGOVERLAPPING FREE END PORTIONS GRADUALLY AND PROGRESSIVELY DECREASED IN